Flammie and Glory 1 5: Mano a Mana
by shadowlugia249
Summary: What if the hero in Flammie and Glory had picked Mana instead of Seryn? This story is the result of that choice. Now updated.


**Flammie and Glory 1.5: Mano-a-Mana**

_By shadowlugia249_

My name is Alex and I am a Flammie. You've probably never heard of a "Flammie" before and I don't blame you. We've been pretty cut off from the rest of the world for countless generations and it's only recently that we've reappeared.

My Uncle Albert discovered and named Flammies and even sent two of them overseas from South America for me to raise on my own. Heh. Those two rascals were more trouble than I was giving them credit for. One of them bit me, however, turning me into the Flammie that I am today. The same one escaped and tried to take over the world not long after.

But don't let that scare you. We're _very_ gentle creatures. I just had a quirky encounter with the two Flammies that I first met. But every so often, one of us ends up biting someone in our true forms, thereby adding another Flammie to our ranks.

Being a Flammie is not a disease; you don't turn into it against your will except for one time after being bitten. You don't turn into it under the full moon but you need the moonlight to keep your energy up. We are not mindless killing machines; in fact, only one Flammie has ever been known to harm a human being intentionally. We are very intelligent, and given the opportunity, we make very friendly pets. Although, it is a little startling to find a Flammie-Human as your own pet.

However, explaining all this means nothing unless you actually experience it for yourself. At least I tried to explain the benefits of being a Flammie; the rest is up to you.

Nevertheless, I've never forgotten the day that my life changed forever. One of my Flammies, a female named Seryn, taught me everything she knew about our species' way of life. Sadly, she gave her life to protect the humans from her evil brother's power. I still miss her... but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if it was Mana that had stayed with me and Seryn had fled.

This story is not what actually happened, but it is something that I have never stopped thinking about. What would have happened if I had raised Mana as my own instead of the pure-hearted Flammie known as Seryn? I can only imagine the outcome of such a fate...

I arrived home from the airport after receiving a crate containing a "Flame-mee" from my Uncle Albert in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The crate was pretty large for an animal that I had _no_ idea what it looked like. But before I opened the crate to let it out, I made some lunch. It had survived a five days in that crate; a few more minutes probably wouldn't kill it.

Before I opened the crate, I noticed a note taped to the side of it. It was hand-written in my Uncle Albert's handwriting. It must be some instructions on how to care for this "Flame-mee".

Dear Alex,

Surprise!!! After all these years, I have _finally_ managed to find a creature that has yet to be named! Three cheers for me! But not anymore! I have decided to call this creature... or _creatures_ (yep, I've sent you two of the little devils) "Flammies". I pronounce it "Flay-mee". It turns out that that's what they've always called themselves, but I was the first one to name them for our species. Like I said earlier, I've managed to capture a pair of young, adolescent Flammies for you to raise on your own. But keep in mind that they are still young and will need constant supervision. Keep an eye on the yellow one, though – it's a little shy. Although, I've been studying them long enough to realize that they are _very_ intelligent and seem to possess strange powers. Oh yeah, _powers_. Some of the Flammies that I have worked with have done some pretty bizarre things. I won't tell you what they are, though; that would be telling and I'd ruin the surprise (hint, hint).

I guess I'd better tell you how to take care of them. First off: feeding them. Here's the weird part – you don't have to feed them at all! Just let them outside at night and they can soak up the rays from the moon on their own. Weird, huh? All they need to survive is _moonlight_. It doesn't even have to be full for them to be satisfied. Don't worry about them getting loose. They're very smart about coming back when they're ready. Other than that, just give them a bowl of fresh water every so often.

Next: cleaning up after them. You know... I've never really seen how they do... that... so you're on your own.

Up next: reacting with other pets. I know you've got your cat, Milkshakes, running around in your house. From what I've seen, Flammies are pretty compatible with other pets, so Milkshakes shouldn't pose much of a problem.

Did I mention flying? Yep, they fly pretty well. They've got _four_ feathered wings that allow them to turn on a dime in the air. I've even been lucky enough to actually _ride_ them when they get big enough. Now don't get ahead of me; they need to be at least 200 pounds and at least ten feet in length. You heard me right. They get B.I.G. extremely quickly!

Finally: playing. Flammies are very playful and mischievous. If you don't keep an eye on them, they could practically tear your house apart with their curiosity. They seem to like shiny objects, so let them play with that Staring Globe that you have in your front yard. They are extremely fun to play with, but keep an eye on those claws if you decide to play rough. Those little buggers are large and sharp!

Keep in mind that these Flammies are unusually smart and might be more than you can handle. If _anything_ strange happens that I did not explain, give me a jingle on my satellite phone. You should have the number, right?

Enjoy!

Uncle Al

I sighed as I took this all in. It had always been Uncle Albert's dream to find a unique species to call his own. But judging from the letter, the "Flammies" have always been called that; he was just the first human to make it official.

I could hear several scratching sounds coming from inside the crate followed by a musical-like whining sound. I suppose I'd better let them out. Grabbing my favorite blue crowbar, I approached one of the air holes and looked inside. A smooth, furry smell met my nostrils smelling almost like creamy vanilla and I could see a pair of baby-blue eyes looking back at me through the darkness. Wedging my crowbar into the side of the crate, I pried the door open and it fell to the garage floor with a clatter.

Two Flammies tumbled out. At first glance, I thought they looked like small bear cubs, but upon further inspection, I realized that they were anything but. I recognized the baby-blue eyes of the one I had seen in the crate and chose to examine that one first.

It had a thick coat of creamy-yellow fur all over its body except for the orange ridge-like armor running from its throat all the way to the tip of its tail. Its paws were bear-like and had heavy orange pads underneath them with a long, thick, brown claw growing from each of its four digits like three fingers and an opposable thumb. Its footpaws were similar, but they only had three digits on those and no dewclaw.

True to Uncle Albert's letter, the Flammie had four different-sized, feathery wings on its back. The upper two were larger than the two below them but each of them had a green-and-blue-colored lining on the edges of them. Its whole body size was that of a half-grown Labrador dog minus its obviously-longer tail.

The Flammie crawled around and eventually looked at me in the face. Its own has somewhat flat since it didn't seem to have a nose and had very short muzzle. A single, sharp, pearl-white fang stuck out of the top of its upper jaw at each end of its smiling face. It had the most adorable baby-blue eyes and had a head of thick, medium-length, straw-yellow hair. Its ears looked similar to a deer and were flickering as it examined me.

I reached out to pet the Flammie, but it either didn't like me or didn't trust me because it whined and backed up out of my reach.

"What...? I'm not going to hurt you. Come 'ere," I crooned, trying to coax it to me. But the Flammie frowned and fled to hide under one of my tool shelves. I couldn't reach it, but it didn't try to run anymore, so I let it be.

I then turned my attention to the other Flammie. There were some key differences between this one and the other one. Instead of creamy-yellow fur, it had a deep-violet color. Its claws and pads were blue instead of brown and its hair was scarlet-red instead of straw-yellow. I also noticed that it had _two_ fangs on each side of its mouth. To finish it off, this Flammie had crimson-red eyes instead of the other one's baby-blue ones.

I tried my luck with trying to pet this one. It eyed me beadily as I stretched my hand to scratch it behind the ears. When it frowned, Common Sense told be to back off, but I wanted to show this one that I meant it no harm.

I paid for my ignorance when it reached out and bit me right on the hand! I screamed as it released me and the other Flammie under the tool shelf cried and fled!

"Hey!" I cried, ignoring my pain. "Come back here!" I tried to corral it, but it reached the end of my driveway and took flight. It was pretty fast for such a small creature and soon it was just a dot on the horizon.

I swore badly and stomped my feet, fuming. I can't believe that I let it get away from me! Uncle Albert was going to be _furious_ when he found out what happened. I was so mad that I didn't notice the other Flammie come up behind me and put its face in my still-bleeding hand.

Looking at the Flammie, I spat at it, "What do _you_ want?!"

But the Flammie seemed to have gotten over its first impression of me and rubbed its body on my leg. I then felt a strange sensation; it felt as if I was drowning in yellow and gold swirls. I thought I was seeing things when I realized that it was flowing through my mind! If I didn't know better, I thought the Flammie was psychic!

Looking at it square in the eyes, I asked it, "What _are_ you?!"

I didn't expect the Flammie to understand, so you could imagine my surprise when it projected a picture of two hands holding a dove into my head! I had seen this picture before – it meant "Life" – but how could the _Flammie_ know about it?

A sharp pain in my hand brought me back to reality. The Flammie's bite had punched a good half-circle of wounds in the back of my right hand and it was bleeding pretty well. I wanted to go get a washcloth from my kitchen, but a suggestive green shade coming from the Flammie stopped me. It was trying to get at my hand as if it wanted to help. I was reluctant to let it near fresh blood, but according to Uncle Albert's letter, it didn't feed on meat or blood, so I cautiously let it sniff my hand.

It sniffed it for a second and then stuck out a flat, pink tongue to lick it clean. Not sure what to make of it, I let it clean my hand by licking it. It felt a little ticklish, almost like a damp feather running over my skin. Unsure if it would attack if it tasted blood, I continued to let it lick me until something happened. The purple Flammie finished and looked up at me with those scarlet eyes and whined. I chuckled because it was so _cute_, but something about it scared me a little.

I looked at my hand and saw to my astonishment that it had stopped bleeding and had sealed shut so that just a ring of white marks were visible under the top layer of skin. It had healed me with just a flick of its tongue!

"Wow," I said to the Flammie, scratching it behind its ears. "You are really something else. I think you should have a name." I racked my brain for possibilities. I had come up with a lot of exotic names in my life and I figured an exotic pet deserved an exotic name. "Let's see... how about "Siron"?"

The Flammie snorted and gave me a mean look. I flinched a little under its gaze and said, "Okay... not that one. Hmm... What about "Terra"?"

Nope. The Flammie let out an awkward wail that sounded like a whining toddler and sent an annoying purple through my brain.

This Flammie was really picky. It didn't like "Tiamar", "Rashi" or even "Masei". I thought it would like "Sidian", but it was not impressed with what I was dishing out.

I then thought of something – I was suggesting names that I had see from female characters. Maybe it knew that they were female names and perhaps... it was male?

Trying again, I suggested "Johiko", "Ashura" and even "Sonni" – all boys' names. The Flammie was responding slightly better to these names, but it still wasn't satisfied.

When I brought up the name "Mana", I got a positive response from the Flammie. It sent me a cool blue-and-white swirl through my mind and I spoke it again.

"Mana? Is that your name?" It sat back on its tail and let its short, flat tongue fall out of its mouth like a dog begging for attention. "Are you Mana?" I said one more time and it let out a fox-like bark as if saying, "Yes, I am Mana!"

"Mana it is then! Hello, Mana." Mana rolled over on its back so that I could rub its plated tummy. It let out a soft, purring noise like a cat and sent a content green through me.

"Come on, Mana," I said, getting up and heading inside. "Let's get you settled in."

Mana followed me inside, a mischievous smile on its face. Unfortunately, I didn't see it.

The first thing I did was get my cat, Milkshakes' spare water bowl and filled it up with water from my cooler. Rare creatures deserved the very best vittles at every opportunity, but since it only fed off of moonlight, the best thing I could do was get it top-quality water.

I also found a spare collar and hooked it around Mana's furry neck. Mana didn't like it, though; he tried to chew on it and tried to claw it off his neck.

"I'm sorry, boy. All pets in New York have to have a collar on them." I didn't like the look he gave me, but he seemed to accept the fact that he had no choice in the matter.

Mana took it upon himself to investigate his new home. He crawled all around the house, sniffing at things and sending his colored impressions to me. He showed particular interest in my blue Staring Globe out on my front porch. So just for him, I detached the massive glass ball from its stand and let Mana have fun rolling it around the house.

While he was busy, I sat back on my couch and watched a movie. The only thing that bothered me was when Mana inevitably found my cat, Milkshakes, and all hell broke loose. But Uncle Albert had said that they were friendly with other pets, so I let him be.

My hand itched a little from Mana's bite and the area was a little red, but that was probably normal behavior from any normal bite, so I ignored it.

I soon started to feel sleepy, which was unusual for me and soon fell asleep on the couch.

_Alex..._

I groaned and turned over in my sleep. My dreams were speaking to me.

_Alex._

It was a male voice in my head. I didn't recognize it, but it became more persistent.

_Alex!_

I finally snapped awake and looked around. My movie had ended and Mana was on two legs in front of me, looking up at me.

"What is it, Mana?"

_Loud sleep._

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, making sure I had heard that properly.

"Did you just...?"

_I speak. You snore._

I _was_ hearing things properly! Mana had spoken to me through some kind of telepathic link.

"You spoke!"

_Of course. I am Flammie. Flammies speak._

Reaching out to pet Mana, I smiled at him. I had a _very_ special pet on my hands.

_Hungry._ He sent me a picture of the moon along with a feeling of need.

"What time is it?"

_Must feed. Let me out._

He was a little bossy. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do what he said.

"Say the magic word, Mana," I said, trying to teach him manners.

He glared at me. _Now!_

I gulped and rolled off the couch. Mana's mental words had been so influential. I felt that I _had_ to do what he told me to do.

As I approached the sliding-glass door, Mana was already waiting for me. Once again I marveled at the Flammie's speed.

_Moon, now!_

"Alright! Just hold on!" I slid open the door and Mana slipped out. I heard him say, _Good human_ and take flight into the night sky.

Mana flew up high enough that he was just a shadow against the moon. People who were outside saw a glittery stream trailing behind him and marveled at his beauty.

"Is that a dragon?" asked one little boy two doors down.

"I don't think so," said his mother. "I thought dragons were bigger than that and they certainly don't have _four_ wings."

I let them be. Mana wasn't threatening them and they weren't bothering him.

I thought about what Mana had said to me. "Good human"? Did he consider me inferior to him? Were humans inferior to Flammies on a cosmic scale? I knew that _cats_ might consider that, but according to Uncle Albert, Flammies had always gotten along with humans as far as he knew. Was there something different about this one? I decided to assert my authority as his owner once he got back and tell him that while he lived in _my_ house, he would live by _my_ rules.

Unfortunately, Mana was more influential than I thought. As soon as I opened my mouth to chew him out once he landed on my porch, Mana hissed at me and said, _You do not tell me what to do, human._ An image of a dog bowing down to its master hit my brain and I lost all enthusiasm to scold him.

_I must fly. I will be back at dawn._

I didn't have a choice in the matter. Mana flew off into the night sky and left me standing in the doorway, shocked and speechless at his behavior. I had no choice but to turn in for the night and wait for him to return.

That night, I was having a nightmare. New York was up in flames from a massive terrorist attack. Buildings were in ruins, bodies of people were everywhere and the United States Army was out in full, trying to battle the terrorists that remained.

I couldn't see who was leading the attack, but they had unique weapons firing bolts of lightning and shadowy aura at the soldiers, killing them on contact.

Who could have planned such a devastating attack on the city? There was no force on earth that could defeat waves of trained soldiers with one blast.

Thankfully, this was only a dream and couldn't possibly happen in the real world... could it?

I was feeling a little hot from the heat of the flames in the park and I ran over to a nearby pond to cool down. I lowered my hands to splash water on my face... when I noticed that they did not belong to me. They looked like furry paws more than anything else. I dunked my face in the water to make sure I wasn't seeing things. The wondrous liquid felt great on my skin. When I looked at my reflection in the water, I screamed!

No... It couldn't be! It's not true! I was...!

I screamed and sat up, panting and sweating. That had been _too_ close! If I had seen exactly _what_ I was, I would have gone mad from the shock! Thankfully, it was just a dream and it wasn't true. I ran a hand through my chest fur, breathing heavily. I was really hot even for this early in the morning.

Wait a minute... chest... _FUR_?!?! I looked down at my chest and saw that a rich, thick coat of creamy-yellow fur had covered my torso like a thick, yellow blanket! I looked at my hands and saw that it didn't stop there. Every square inch of my skin had been covered in... fur!!! I had turned into a werewolf!

But wait... werewolves didn't have creamy-yellow fur like this. And I had seen this fur before... it belonged to...

"MANA!!!" I screamed into the house. A sleepy blue followed by an angry red entered my head.

_What is it, human?!_ Mana came furiously crawling into the living room and I received another shock. He had doubled in size overnight! He was now as big as a full-grown Great Dane!

"What happened to me?!" I practically screamed at the Flammie. And then... "What did you do to me?!"

Mana smiled at me and somehow managed to calm me down with a soothing white mist.

_I have changed you. You will become a Flammie by the next full moon._

"But why?!" I said, almost in tears. How could Mana do this to me after I took him in under my wing? How was this even possible?!

_Humans are inferior scum,_ sneered Mana. _We were once the dominant species of this planet before we were nearly hunted to extinction many millennia ago. Humans are nothing to me now._

"Then why didn't you just _kill_ me if you hate us so much?!" It didn't make any sense.

_You have been kind to me. My people outcasted my sister and I long before your human uncle captured us. I am returning the favor by letting you join us. You are becoming a Flammie. Together, we will repopulate this planet and claim our rightful place as the dominant species of this world._

"But how?! How did you do this to me?!"

_Once bitten, your entire chemical structure will realign to be that of a Flammie. The fur is just the start. Soon, you will be more... complete. _I didn't like the satisfaction he put into the word.

"How could you, Mana?" I couldn't believe what was happening to me. "I took you in as one of my own. Why did it have to come to this?"

Mana slunk over to me and pointed to the leather collar I had put around his neck. It was mostly severed from his claws and teeth working on it all night.

_You labeled me as your _pet_, scum. Now, you will be under _my_ control! _I_ will be the master here._

"But, Mana..." I started to say.

_SILENCE_!!!

He raked his claws across my face, slashing open my skin just above and below my left eye. I knew it could have been much worse.

_I am your master now, scum. You will address me as such!_

"And if I don't?" I had the nerve to say, looking him squarely in the eye.

_You will pay dearly._

Suddenly, I felt a stabbing pain in my bead as if someone had driven a wedge into the back of it and was trying to lift off the top. Mana was assaulting my mind! I screamed and hit the floor, writhing and twitching from the sheer agony. Please... make it stop!

And then it was over. I was still twitching from the pain, but Mana sidled over to me and looked me in the eye.

_Now... _who_ is the master here, scum?_

I didn't want to have to go through that experience again, but I also didn't want to have to serve Mana like a dog. But now I knew what he was capable of and I knew that it would only get worse if I refused.

"You are..." I mumbled.

_Say it properly!_ Mana put his claws under my chin and held my head in place so that I couldn't look away. Who_ is the master here?!_

I had no choice. "You are... Master."

Mana smiled and released me. _Good human. You learn quickly._ He went over to the door and slid it open. Once he had done so, he looked back at me. _I am going out for a while. You are to stay here until I get back. You are forbidden to call for help or leave the house._

"Yes... Master..." I found myself saying. "I will respect your instructions."

Mana nodded and flew off, leaving me alone in the house.

I couldn't believe what I had just done. I had given myself over to a creature that had just punished me for talking back to me. I feared what Mana was capable of and tried to think of what I could do.

But all free will seemed to have gone out of my heart. I could no longer act for myself or even attempt to fight back. Mana was the master now. Like he had said, I was an inferior species... worthless scum.

In fact, the only thing that I could do right now was lie back on the couch and cry myself to sleep. I was scared for what had and what was about to happen to me. If what Mana had said was true, I would become a full-fledged Flammie by the night of the next full moon. If I knew the calendar, that was tonight! I blanched at what might happen to me when the full moon rose tonight.

For the whole day, I laid on the couch, thinking about all that had happened to me. It seems that fate had conspired against me and I had chosen a Flammie that was bent on world domination. It continued to bother me on what _might_ have happened if it had been Mana that had fled that day and I had taken in the creamy-yellow-furred Flammie. Something told me that life would have been a lot different if I had managed to catch that Flammie before it had fled.

A lot of good it would do me now. Mana owned me and no one would be able to stand up to him.

_Alex?_

I flinched when I heard a voice in my head, thinking Mana had returned early. But then a soothing light-blue swirl washed over me.

_I am not Mana._

I realized that the voice, despite being a Flammie, was female.

"Who... where are you?"

_Over here._

It was coming from my back door. I was afraid to move in case Mana found out.

_Mana will not see you. Come._

I gingerly climbed off the couch and crawled through the house to the back door. Despite the Flammie's words, I didn't want to take the chance that Mana was watching me.

I reached the back door and groped for the handle.

_Wait. Leave the door closed._

I did so. If this unknown Flammie came in, Mana would certainly be able to pick up her scent.

"Where are you?" I _had_ to see her to know that it wasn't Mana.

_The small door._

She was talking about the doggy-door that I had installed for Milkshakes to use to get in and out of the house. I lifted the flap on it and let out a sigh of relief.

This was _not_ Mana, but another Flammie –- a creamy-yellow one with baby-blue eyes. Hang on... "I've seen you before."

_Yes. My name is Seryn. I am the Flammie that had fled from you that day._

I had to ask. "Why? Why did you leave me all alone with him?"

_I feared what you would do once Mana bit you. This is all my fault. I could not stand up to my brother._

WHAT?!?! "Your _brother_?! You mean you're—?"

_Yes. We are siblings. But I did not fulfill my job of protecting you._ Before I could ask, she added, _Mana's heart is evil. I made a promise when we were captured that I would protect the human we were being sent to. I could not protect you and Mana is loose._

The Flammie called "Seryn" stuck her paw through the doggy-door and I put my own furry hand around it. It felt great that she wasn't going to hurt me.

_If the two of us had met under different circumstances, you would have looked forward to becoming a Flammie._

"What do you mean?"

_Becoming a Flammie is a painful process, but we are able to shield those bitten from the pain through our mental link. Tonight, I will watch over you so that you feel no pain._

"But what about Mana? He can't see you here."

_He will not see me. However, he expects you to scream from the painful process. You must do your best to convince him or otherwise he will suspect something._

"I... I'll try my best."

Seryn pulled her paw back out but I didn't want to let go.

"Don't leave me here! You don't know what Mana's done to me!"

_I do and I must. Don't worry; we will meet again soon. When you get inside, wash your hand with fragrance so Mana will not detect my scent._

I nodded and let go. There was a shuffling noise outside and Seryn was gone.

As per her words, I washed my hands with soap to get Seryn's scent off it. I then went back to the couch and lied back down. I had to make it look like I hadn't moved all day. I felt a sense of slight relief. The second Flammie was still out there and she was going to help me get through this crisis. With that feeling inside me, I fell asleep much easier.

_Awake._

I did so right away. I didn't want to disobey my "master" and suffer any more than I had to. Mana was seated on one of my loveseats with his tail trailing down onto the floor, watching me with anticipation.

"Master..."

_You obeyed me well, human. I am pleased that your loyalty to me has not faltered since this morning._

"Thank you, Master. But where have you been all day?"

Immediately, I felt a stab of annoyance coming from the Flammie. He got off the chair and walked over to me. He was able to walk on his hind legs like a human despite being twice our average mass. Mana grabbed my head with one paw and forced me to look at him.

_That is none of your business at the moment, human! What I do during the day will be revealed in due time. You are forbidden from asking me that again!_

"Yes, Master!" I cried, tears coming to my eyes from his claws biting into my cheekbones. "I'm sorry! I won't ask again!"

_Good._ He released me and walked back over to the chair and sat down again.

For a while, we simply looked at each other, not speaking. He appeared to be waiting for something, but I dared not ask what it was.

Finally, my curiosity got the better of me. "Master, what time is it?" I braced for him to hurt me, but Mana merely smiled and looked out the sliding-glass door.

_It is nearly midnight. Soon, the full moon will be at its highest and your transformation will commence._

I swallowed. Midnight. I was about to transform into a full Flammie and yet there was no sign of Seryn anywhere in the house or in my mind.

I waited, expecting the worst to happen. If Seryn _was_ going to shield me from the inevitable pain, I would have to put on a pretty damn good show if I wanted to convince Mana that I was feeling it.

Finally, Mana got up and walked over to me.

_Get up._

Finally, I got up off the couch and stood to look up at my master.

_Follow me._

Mana and I walked through the house until we reached my bedroom. The moon was shining down through my unusually-large window, lighting up the room like a bonfire.

_Lay down,_ he said, pointing to the floor in front of the window.

Obeying him, I laid on my back and looked up at Mana, who was seated on my bed.

_Flip over. I want to see you scream._

I was nearly in tears as I flipped onto my side to face the full moon. Mana's heart was clearly as black as a moonless night if he wanted to enjoy my agony.

Come on, Seryn... Please be there...

Mere seconds before midnight, I felt a second mind enter my own. It was branched off so that Mana would not detect it.

_Be at ease, Alex. I am here._

I did not speak, so as not to tip my master off that Seryn was outside somewhere.

As soon as the moon was at its highest peak, I felt my body go rigid. It had begun! I could feel my ribs starting to move as they snapped dully and shifted within me.

_Alex, you _must_ scream!_ said Seryn urgently. _This is one of the most painful stages in the process and Mana will be expecting it!_

If it was pain that Mana wanted, it was pain Mana got. I had been a natural at making passable imitations of me being in pain. Even though I felt almost nothing, I shrieked as if I was being maliced with a flail.

"NO!!! GOD-!!! AAH, SON-OF-A-(explicit)!!! IT HURTS!!!"

Through my act, Mana smiled. He obviously bought it. But what I _was_ feeling was anything _but_ pain. My ribs snapped one after another and blew out so that they were about three times their normal size. My torso was gaining mass like I was being blown up with an air pump. There was a barely-audible _squish_ as my internal organs shifted, morphed and gained mass. My stomach all but disappeared since Flammies didn't need material food.

During this, the fur on my chest started crystallizing and fused together into orange ridge-like armor that went down to my groin area. I nearly shuddered when I felt my manhood practically disappear. Apparently, Flammies had different ways of telling gender.

I felt much heavier now, but I didn't need to support myself yet, which made it slightly easier to bear. My torso was now about twice as long and three times as broad.

_The intensity is shifting,_ said Seryn urgently. _Express yourself in fits and starts now._

I went from hysterical agony to panting heavily and yelping out from fits and starts of "pain". Mana still bought it, so I was still convincing enough.

My legs were the next to change. I _almost_ screamed out for real as my bones literally vaporized. The mass in my legs shortened slightly but gained thickness. I could feel muscles upon muscles strengthening them and adding power to my legs. With a liquid motion, my legs reformed so that I had two "knees". I knew this shape all too well. Mana had digitigrade legs so that he was supported on the pads of his feet. Finally, my bones solidified into something I could use should Mana ever let me up. If I wasn't so busy keeping Mana entertained, I would have felt that they were _much_ denser and stronger than before.

Speaking of which, my feet were the next to shift. With a sickening _crunch_, the bones in my feet were reduced to powder and I could feel my toes starting to liquefy. The toenails on them cracked and fell to pieces on my carpet. Eventually, they started to melt together into three slightly-shorter digits. This sensation tickled slightly and I nearly gave myself away when I giggled for a brief second.

Mana looked suspiciously at me when this happened, but thankfully, he thought he must have been hearing things. I could practically hear a mental sigh of relief coming from Seryn.

_Whew!_

A crackling sensation came from the bottoms of my feet, signaling that I was growing rough, leathery pads underneath them. Along with that, a thick, long, brown claw poked out of my new toes and grew to full-length not unlike those of a Flammie.

_This will not be as painful as before, Alex,_ said Seryn. _You may take a break._

I took a breather, giving my vocal cords a break. Mana was still in the dark about my act as the next step began.

My bones took a break, but I felt something pushing on my tailbone. I was growing a tail! New bones grew and attached themselves to my tailbone as furry and fleshy growth pushed outward from where my backside used to be. I shuddered as it pushed out and thickened while the orange scales that had destroyed my manhood progressed down the lengthening tail. Soon, it was just as long as Mana's, but I couldn't move it because my nervous system hadn't been recalibrated yet.

I received no further instructions from Seryn as I felt _something_ pushing on my spine. It was a strange sensation that made me shudder as something sharp poked out of my back in four spots. They eventually grew into the furry frames for the two pairs of feathery wings with the feathers growing in soon after.

_Your arms are next. Do what you did with your legs and Mana should buy it._

I started my hissy fit of on-and-off fits of pain again as my arm bones snapped in half and grew out. Like my legs, muscles piled on them and my furry hands melted from three long fingers and a thumb to three short nubs and a dewclaw. During that step, my nails were reduced to pieces and a long, thick, brown claw grew from each of my nubs.

_This is the most painful part,_ warned Seryn. _You must try to show sorrow during this._

I didn't know how to express sorrow, but I had an idea on what she meant. I shrieked with agony and added some sobbing into the mix. And Mana bought it!

The reason why this was the "most painful" step was because my skull had just been reduced to shards. However, I didn't feel a thing! Joy to me! My nose wiggled slightly and then broke and the skin from it spread out and flattened on my face. My teeth were becoming sharp and pointed and two of them were starting to stick out of my upper jaw on each side of my mouth. Along with that, my ears grew outward and shifted slightly higher on my head. They now resembled a deer's in shape. To finish it off, my normally-brown hair grew slightly longer and thickened out, becoming straw-yellow in color. Once my eyes turned baby-blue color and my skull reformed, my entire body went numb as my nervous system recalibrated itself. When it was all said and done, I had fully transformed into a full-fledged Flammie.

It was all over.

I felt Seryn retreat from my mind as Mana looked me over. He seemed satisfied that I had "suffered" through the whole thing. But suddenly, his expression went sour.

_No. No! NO! NO!!! This wasn't supposed to happen! How could you look like her?! I was very thorough! You were _not_ supposed to look like her! DAMN IT!!! DAMN IT ALL!!!_

I flinched when Mana projected a furious black-and-purple wave into my head. Whatever was making him _this_ furious, it obviously had something to do with my transformation.

_Master, what's wrong?_ I didn't realize that my voice was now being projected mentally.

Mana was beside himself. He lashed out with his claws at my personal belongings, reducing my stereo and CDs to scrap.

_Master...?_

He turned to look at me. _You look exactly like my sister, Seryn! That was _not_ supposed to happen! Something changed. What was it? You were supposed to have _red_ fur, _not_ yellow!_

Oh no. He knew!

He threw himself on me and seized me by the fur around my neck. He then slammed me against the wall and hissed at me.

_Where is she, scum?! My sister had something to do with this! Where is she?!_

_I... I... I don't know, _I said truthfully.

Wrong answer.

_LIE!!!_ Mana threw me to one side, causing me to tip over a lamp on my bedstand. _Where is Seryn, you piece of inferior trash?! TELL ME!!!_

I didn't know what to say. Seryn had left after my transformation and I didn't know where. _I swear I don't know, Master!_

But for all the good it did, I might as well have interrogated the doorknob because Mana kicked me hard in the ribs and let fly a bolt of lightning from his maw a few inches from where my head was.

_I am giving you one last chance, scum! Tell me where my sister is and I will spare you a slow and painful death!_

Sparks and a shadowy aura were flying around his mouth. I didn't know what to do. I was going to die in a body that wasn't mine from a creature that was as black-hearted as the devil.

And then I heard her.

_Alex._

_She's outside! I just heard her! She's in the backyard!_

Mana looked at me, his eyes blazing and turned to look outside. He didn't see Seryn, but he could obviously sense her.

_Wait here. I will return._

He stepped over my body and exited the room. I was literally in tears. I couldn't believe what I had just done. I had sold Seryn, my only friend in this crisis, to the devil reincarnated! How could I ever live this down?!

_Alex!_

_Seryn, I'm so sorry! I was scared!_

_No, Alex. I am here. Open your eyes!_

I forced my eyes open and found myself looking into the two baby-blue ones that belonged to her.

_Seryn?!_

_Shush._ She put a paw over my mouth even though we spoke in thoughts. _I am fine. But you are not. Come, we must flee!_

_Seryn, I..._

_Words are useless now. We must flee!_

She got to her feet and snuck out the back way. I managed to get to my own feet and follow her. I couldn't believe that I was escaping from Mana! When he found out, he was going to be irate!

Since Mana was in the backyard, Seryn and I escaped through the garage and took to the air, though we stayed low so Mana wouldn't see us. I was in disbelief as I let my instincts take over. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known the first thing about flying as a Flammie. Seryn and I were less than a mile away when a massive electrical explosion rocked through the city. A powerful electromagnetic pulse coursed through the neighborhood and I looked back to see an electrical mushroom cloud shooting up from where my house used to be. From out of the rubble, Mana rose into the sky, letting out a shriek of fury.

S_ERYN!!! Run and hide, sister! RUN AND HIDE!!! But know this! No matter where you go, no matter where you fly, I will find you! You have just committed your final treason! But know this as well! When all the world belongs to me, I will feed off the smoldering shell of energy that is your soul!!!_

_Keep flying, Alex! _said Seryn as we left the suburbs. _Just keep flying!_

I flew... just like she told me to. I was in fear for my life and I couldn't imagine what Mana would do to us if we got caught. And other than that one time, I never once looked back to see if he was following us.

I was a fugitive now. Maybe not from the law, but from a demonic Flammie bent on global takeover.

Seryn and I flew until sunrise where we collapsed, gasping for breath near a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We had flown over 200 miles towards Washington DC in just under two hours. I never thought I would be able to fly that far that fast, but this was the first proof I'd seen that Flammies can do extraordinary things. If we had paced ourselves, we could have flown clear across the ocean and landed in Europe with plenty of energy left to spare.

I needed a drink. My throat was parched and I was still breathing hard. There wasn't any fresh water around, but that wasn't going to stop me. Using my new instincts, I sniffed out a wet spot nearby and dug up the dirt. Soon, I felt a lot of moisture reach my paw. Digging further, I was overwhelmed when the small hole suddenly filled with cool, sandy water. The sand wasn't very appetizing, but feeling the life-giving liquid flowing down my throat gave me renewed energy.

_Alex? Have you found water?_ Seryn had come to investigate.

_Yes. It's a little sandy, though._

_That's fine. Please let me drink._

I moved aside and let Seryn quench her thirst with the precious water. When she was finished, I pressed her with the obvious question.

_What are we going to do?_

Seryn lifted herself up on two legs and answered. _We must destroy Mana before his evil can spread._

_But how? He's so powerful._

_We must work together to defeat him. Only a Flammie can defeat Mana._

But I didn't understand it. _How? I'm completely new to being a Flammie. What can _I_ do?_

Seryn put a paw on my shoulder and ran it down my side. _I must train you. It is our only hope if we ever hope to stop Mana._

_You would do that for me? Seryn... I'm touched._

_Yes._ She dropped to all fours again. _Follow me._

My first lesson in learning to live as a Flammie was one of the most important: flying. Last night, my instincts had taken over. Today, I had to learn to do it on my own. Seryn started slowly; she first focused on getting me airborne.

_Flammies must utilize all four of their wings to get them in the air. You must extend your wings to their fullest and pump them in rhythm to get in the air. Watch me._

Seryn's four feathery wings stretched out to their fullest and pushed herself into the air with her front legs. She bobbed in the air with the rhythmic pumping of her wings and soon gained altitude. She was soon high enough in the air that she could move forward by beating her wings rhythmatically. I noticed that she was steering by moving her tail from side to side to change her direction.

Seryn flew out over the ocean for a time and then flew back and landed near me.

_This is the foundation for you to go for. Now you try it._

I did my best. By harnessing the power of my wings and the thermals coming off the ground, I was soon airborne without much difficulty. Seryn soon joined me and gave me tips on how to prolong my flight.

_Use your upper wings to glide and your lower wings to keep in the air. This allows you to minimize the effort needed to stay airborne._

I didn't do half bad for a first-timer. I didn't crash into any trees and I managed to stay in the air for about three hours before I needed to rest.

_You did quite well, Alex,_ said Seryn sincerely and smiling at me. _You are a natural Flammie._

_Thanks... I guess._

_Come. We have much more to learn._

Seryn lifted herself onto her hind legs again and walked off in the direction of a nearby forest. I sighed and followed her likewise. She was really sweet... really. If Mana hadn't been running amok, I could have sworn that she... liked me.

We were deep inside the forest before Seryn stopped and addressed me.

_One of a Flammie's most important weapons is their ability to breathe two of four elements: fire, ice, wind and water. Each Flammie is born with two random elemental "lungs" side-by-side. To utilize these lungs, you must breathe in through a special air tube and into one of your two elemental lungs. Observe._

I watched as Seryn took a deep breath and looked in a different direction. She then let fly a heavy stream of light-blue flames at an unsuspecting tree, setting it ablaze. I thought she was insane since that fire would probably spread throughout the forest.

But Seryn had an ace up her sleeve. She took another breath and spat out a frozen ray of Flammie spit at the same tree, freezing it on contact and extinguishing the flames.

_Wow..._ I said, amazed. _How did you do that?_

Seryn looked at me and grinned. _There is a trick to using an ice lung effectively. You must mix your saliva with air from your ice lung and the result will come out in a ray of sub-zero mist. Now you try it._

I took a moment to feel where my two elemental lungs were. I could feel them, but I didn't know what elements they were. On a hunch, I channeled one of my breaths into my left lung and aimed at a different tree.

I didn't breathe fire or even ice, but the force of my breath was not unlike a hurricane-force wind! Seryn was nearly blown away, but some of the trees weren't so lucky. I uprooted several and sent them flying into even more behind him.

When I ran out of breath, I clapped my paws to my mouth and blushed. _Whoops! I didn't mean for it to be _that_ strong!_

But Seryn was a good sport. She licked her paw and groomed her straw-yellow hair like a cat. _Wind. Not bad. That's a pretty effective element. Now try the other._

I gulped audibly. _Please be ice,_ I told myself privately. _Please be fire. Anything but water._

But the results of my second lung wasn't what I was hoping for. What came from my maw was a huge torrent of water that was at least ten inches wide and just as, if not _more_ destructive than my wind breath. Not only did I knock down several trees, but I pierced a clean hole through several trunks in the process.

_Okay,_ I said, shutting my mouth after all the water had been expended. _I think I'm done now._

Seryn laughed and came to comfort me. _You shouldn't feel ashamed. Once you think about it, we share the four elements between us. You should consider yourself lucky._

_Really?_ I put my paw on hers, which was on my shoulder. _You're so nice to me._

_Of course. Not all Flammies are evil, you know._

I did have one question. _What about Mana? He has a kind of electric-and-shadow combo in his arsenal._

Seryn sighed. _Mana is different. His twisted heart warped his elemental lungs into very destructive elements – lightning and shadow. Those two elements are dangerous by themselves, but together, they spell certain death for anyone standing in his way._

_Wow. He's a living, breathing demon._

_Exactly. If we do not stop him, more than just New York will fall at his mercy._

_Of which he has none,_ I added. Seryn nodded and dropped to her feet and left with me following her.

_There is one more technique that humans turned into Flammies may learn._ Seryn looked off into the setting sun from atop the cliff overlooking the ocean.

_What's that?_ I asked, crawling up beside her. _Can you tell me?_

_I can tell you... but as long as Mana is alive, you cannot harness it._

_Why not?_ I didn't see what Mana had to do with this special ability. _What is it?_

Seryn sighed again. _It is the ability to morph back into your human form._

I should have been over the moon when I heard that, but I knew there was a catch. _What's wrong?_

_You see, Alex... Humans that are bitten by a Flammie are mentally bound to the Flammie that bit them. It is up to the Flammie whether or not they can allow their "victims" to change back._

_And knowing Mana..._ I said, putting two and two together. _He would rather have a Flammie at his side instead of "inferior scum". _My mood fell. Mana wasn't going to allow me to transform unless he either chose to or was dead.

_Exactly,_ Seryn said, allowing me to nuzzle her chest and stroking me between the ears. _Mana must be destroyed if you ever plan on returning to your human form._

I looked up at her baby-blue eyes and asked her a sincere question. _Seryn? What did Mana mean when he said that you had something to do with my transformation?_

Seryn took my head in her paws and we looked at each other square in the eyes. _While you were transforming, I knew that Mana would not release you if he had had his way. So I put a little bit of my soul into your heart as you changed. That way, Mana would reject you and you and I could escaped._

_But why?_ I still didn't get it.

_Alex... when I first saw you, I knew what Mana was planning. You have a good heart, Alex; I couldn't let him take that away from you by controlling your heart. So I figured that if I were to shape you in my image, Mana would become so distraught that he would abandon you and I could take you in as my own._

_Seryn.. thank you._ Words were beyond me. _What do we do now?_

Seryn and I separated and went to lie under a tree where the moon would be able to shine on us. _Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow, we must confront Mana. If I know my brother, he is planning to do something unspeakable to the humans of the city._

_What's that?_

Seryn shook her head. _I do not want to think about it. Let's just hope that fate is on our side._

I couldn't imagine what Mana could do to the people that was worse than what he did to me. Then again, I doubt most people would think of him as a pet after what happened last night. I just wanted to sleep and forget about it.

Dawn found Seryn and I flying back towards New York City. We were going to confront Mana and shut him down once and for all.!

My first moonlight "feeding" was phenomenal! As I slept, I could feel pure energy flowing through my veins, delivering nutrients to my tired muscles and revitalizing my stamina. What's more, it seemed to increase the luster of my fur just like it had with Seryn and Mana. No mortal food or energy made by humans could reenergize me as much as pure, unadulterated moonlight.

As we neared the city, we could already see evidence of Mana's handiwork. Hovering over the city was an unusual violet-colored storm cloud. Heavy rain was falling in the area. What's more, from what we could see, half the city was up in flames. Thick, dark smoke added to the confusion along with the rain.

But that was not all. When Seryn and I reached the city, an unnatural purple fog hung around the streets. The rain, the darkness, the smoke and the fog made it next to impossible to see anywhere in the streets. We were flying completely blind.

I also noticed something. _Hey, Seryn, have you noticed how quiet it is here?_

Seryn's ears flickered as she listened for anything. _You are right. I hear no sirens, no screaming nor anything that sounds like your military is out._

_I don't like it. It's not natural._

We flew down the deserted streets, looking for any survivors that could have gotten past Mana's wrath. But there was absolutely nothing to suggest that there was a mini-war going on or that Mana was in the area.

And then we saw it. Somewhere deep inside Greenland Village was a sea of absolute chaos. I nearly passed out when I saw a sea of human bodies laying amid a collection of crashed and disabled cars. It appeared that they had died trying to escape their vehicles when Mana had attacked.

But something wasn't right here. The cars were too well-organized for there to have been some kind of pile-up and there was no indication that they had been attacked. However, Seryn provided the answer.

_Toxic gas. Mana destroyed a truck filled with noxious gas and it escaped into the city._

_But why aren't _we_ being affected?_ I asked curiously, taking a test breath. _I can breathe just fine._

Seryn pointed to her chest. _Flammies are immune to disease or illness. That's how we have survived all these millennia. The only thing that can kill a Flammie is the senses after countless years of service or something that hits both their brain and their heart at the same time. Otherwise, we can regenerate either of them and continue living completely normal lives._

_Wow. Flammies are practically immortal!_ I couldn't believe what it took to kill a Flammie!

_I know. But that means that Mana can only be killed in the same way._

My expression fell. _Oh._

Seryn flew over to face me. _Don't worry. I have a way to destroy him. I just need a clear shot at him._

_A task not easily accomplished, I'm afraid._

The two of us swung around. Mana, the source of this city's state of peril, was fluttering less than 500 feet away from us with a malevolent grin on his face.

_Mana!_ said Seryn and I at the same time.

_Hello, Seryn... Alex. I am surprised that you have returned after I vowed to kill you by my own paw._

_I'm not scared of you, Mana!_ I called to him. _Your reign of terror has come to an end!_

_Has it? You forget: I cannot be killed by your pathetic human ways. I am the Messenger of Death! I am immortal! You humans are such weak-minded scum. You'd be surprised how many of you joined me when I threatened their sanity._

This seemed to have a distinct effect on Seryn. _How many humans have you bitten, Mana?! How many lives did you threaten before they would join you?!_

Mana laughed darkly. _I've infected my fair share. And soon, we will take back our rightful place as the rulers of this planet!_

_How could you, Mana?! After the care that Alex and I have shown you... how could you do this to them?!_

_The humans, no matter their kindness, are scum. They care for no one but themselves and would sacrifice anything to ensure their own survival. They only live to serve each other and are destroying their own world in the process. I am simply giving them a more... purposeful life. One that is more meaningful than them destroying themselves with disease and politics. I have shown them that the way of the Flammie is the most superior life that all creatures large and small could only dream of. I am Life! I am Death! I am the future ruler of this planet and all will bow before my might!_

A silence followed Mana's speech. I couldn't help but think back to when I first met Mana. He had told me that he was Life by showing me a picture of a pair of hands holding a dove. But now I knew what he had really meant.

_Life… is like holding a dove,_ I said to Seryn and Mana at the same time. _If you hold it too hard, you kill it. If you hold it too loosely, it flies away. Only by holding Life firmly will you ensure its survival. You both are to blame here._ Both of them looked shocked, but none more so than Seryn.

_Seryn, you don't embrace life like it was meant to be. You only care for those who have touched you. That's why you fled from me in the first place._ I turned to face Mana. _You handle life too harshly, Mana. You think that you are above everything else. You don't care who gets in the way. You don't care for the Flammies; you _never_ did! You just wanted followers that would praise you and boost your over-inflated ego! Well, today, that ends! We are going to destroy you and restore the balance of Life to its proper glory!_

_Alex..._ Seryn was speechless, but Mana was looking livid.

_Fine, scum! I gave you a choice to live life as my follower, but you have decided to throw your life away. Now die slowly so that you may witness my glory spread throughout the world!_

He let out a massive shriek that echoed throughout the city. It was so high-pitched that I had to cover my ears so that it didn't confuse me or throw me off my guard. However, when it ended, that was the least of my worries.

I could hear multiple wings beating. It was so quiet that only my Flammie ears could have picked it up. It was the unmistakable sound of Flammie wings approaching.

But it wasn't just _one_ Flammie. From every possible direction from our current position, a different-colored Flammie appeared out of the mist. They varied in color from red to green to white to blue. But what scared me the most was that every pair of eyes looking at us was clouded over with purple mist.

Finally, it all made sense. _Now_ I knew what Mana had been doing while I had been at home. He had been out in the city on a spree cornering and infecting as many humans as he could so that they would turn into Flammies by the same full moon that had transformed me.

We were cornered. There was no way for us to get to Mana without going through the Flammies.

_So this is how it ends,_ I told Seryn. _Destroyed by our own kind._

_You don't know the half of it, _chuckled Mana. _You will fall at the apex of my power. Die slow and painfully, scum._

If I had known that this would be the last time that Seryn and I would see each other, I would have said something to comfort her. But I had just noticed that one of the Flammies surrounding us, a red one, had just... winked at me.

_Get them._

Mana pointed a claw at us and eleven of the twelve Flammies started advancing on us. The red Flammie, however, turned to face Mana and launched a blast of unusual blue, staticy breath at him. The evil Flammie didn't see it coming and took it full in the chest.

_What the—?! Who did that?!_ Mana was knocked from the sky and crashed into the street.

The other Flammies turned to assist their fallen master, but the red Flammie flew over to us and spoke. _I've had it up to here with that guy! He bit me and turned me into this! If you don't mind, I'd like to give him a little payback._

I should have asked her (yes, it was a she) how she resisted Mana's evil, but we had business to take care of.

_What are you doing?!_ bellowed Mana, clearing the rubble off him and getting back in the air. _GET THEM!!!_

The Flammies turned and rushed us, launching a series of fire, ice, wind and water breaths at the three of us... but we were long gone! The three of us had split up. The red Flammie and I went after the other ones while Seryn took Mana on personally.

It was 11-on-2, but for some reason, we had the advantage. The Flammies were too inexperienced with their breath attacks, because they kept flying off in completely random different directions. So it was no debate when our water-and-dragon breaths hit a good wave of them, paralyzing them and knocking them out of the sky. The remaining four Flammies looked down at their fallen comrades and became infuriated. They then let out a roar and launched themselves at us as if to tackle us out of the air.

_Fly,_ I said to the red Flammie and we did just that. we flew off into the city with the other four Flammies in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile, Seryn and Mana had ignored their elemental breaths and were locked in a melee battle of fangs and claws. Mana had sunk his claws into Seryn's back and was attempting to ground her by ripping the feathers from her wings. But Seryn flipped onto her back and slammed Mana into the ground, delivering most of the impact to him and causing him to release her. Fortunately, the damage to her wings was minimal.

_Damn you, Seryn!_ cursed Mana, sending a blast of shadowy breath at her and taking to the air again. _You just don't know when to quit, do you?!_

_You have done great evil, brother,_ said Seryn, barely dodging the blast and sending her own ice breath in return. Mana dodged it and tackled her again. _UNH!!! I can guarantee that you will not live past this day._

Mana leveled her with a powerful whack of his tail and roared, _Mighty words from a weakling Flammie. You forget: nothing can kill me!_

Seryn got gingerly to her feet and somehow managed to get back in the air. _Wrong, brother. You only immortal as long as your brain and heart are functioning. When I destroy them both, your reign of terror will come to an end!_

_HA!!! Good luck, scum! I am too powerful for my brain and heart to fail simultaneously! You have no chance!_

Another ice beam flew at Mana, but this one actually hit him. It clipped his upper-left wing and grounded him within seconds. Seryn flew above him to deliver one more blast at his heart.

_You will die here and now, Mana. Farewell._

But Mana stared laughing boisterously. _You let your guard down, sister. You have forgotten about my servants!_

Then, from out of nowhere, seven various elemental breaths flew from the seven recovered Flammies and hit Seryn full in the back. She was battered, drenched, burned and frozen all at once and hit the ground hard. Mana smiled and flew up above his fallen sister and smiled malevolently.

_You have failed, scum. Now watch in awe as I end your life here and now._

But before he could deliver the final blow, a combination breath attack of electrified water came blasting down the road, scattering the Flammies and slamming into Mana, sending him flying a good 1000 feet away from the battle.

The red Flammie and I had reentered the fray. Paula, as that was her name, went to corral the Flammies while I tended to Seryn. She had taken a good beating from the Flammies' sneak attack, but she was still breathing, which was a good thing.

_Seryn! Talk to me!_

_I... I can't... move. My body is broken... and I'm not sure if my heart can heal me. I am... fading... Alex. I can see... a light... with my waking eyes._

_Seryn, no!_ I cried, letting out a Flammie's wail. _I won't let you die! You're coming back with me when this is all over... and we'll repair the damage that Mana caused! You _can'_ die here!_

_I'm... sorry, Alex. Mana has bested me. I cannot fight any more... I am spent. I go now... to meet my ancestors... in the next life..._

_Please, Seryn! You need to stay awake! I don't know what to do without you!_

_Alex... it is too late for me. You must... defeat Mana. I believe in you._

I knew it was no good, but I refused to accept that Seryn was dying. _If there's anything I can do to ease your pain, tell me. I will do it._

Seryn coughed weakly and let out a sad cry. _There is... one more thing... you can do for me._

_Anything, just tell me._

Seryn looked at me with her baby-blue eyes. They were slowly glazing over. _Bring my body... to the park. There I may rest... in peace... the Eternal Sleep._

I was determined to respect her wishes. _If it's Central Park you want, it's Central Park you'll get. I'll make sure no one disturbs your sleep._ Tears were welling up in my eyes.

_I thank you... Alex... my friend..._ Her breathing was becoming shallower. _You have... done well... Alex... good... bye..._

With one final musical cry, Seryn the Flammie left this world, bound for the heavens where Flammies are free from Mana's influence. I broke down and wept freely. She was gone. My only friend in this crisis was finally gone. I felt all alone in this world now. What was I going to do without her? How was I going to survive as a Flammie without her guidance?

I was so immersed in sorrow that I didn't hear someone coming up behind me and speak. _At last, she is defeated. The hero of the human scum has been destroyed. All her futile efforts to save the human race is dead. I never thought I'd see the day that Seryn the Flammie falls at my mercy._

I turned around to look Mana straight in the face. _Don't you have a heart, Mana?! Seryn is dead! She can no longer speak... no longer cry. She'll never feel sadness... or anger... or happiness again! She is gone... and you don't give a rat's ass about her! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF HER LIKE THAT?!?!_

I made to launch at Mana's heart when he slashed me across the face, knocking me to the ground next to Seryn's body. Before I could recover, he had put a paw to my throat and had started strangling me.

_Look into my eyes, scum. You are defeated and your partner is dead. This world will soon fall under my control and Flammies will rule the world. Look at my face, human. It will be the last thing you ever see. I am Life! I am Death! I am your worst nightmare! Die now and feel no pain!_

My entire world was spinning. Mana was strangling me and I could feel my heart and brain starting to slow. As I looked up into his face, the memory of him tumbling out of that crate played in my mind. It was all over for me...

POW!!!

From out of nowhere, a super-powerful beam of ice had rocketed from the mouths of six of the twelve Flammies, flew inches from my head and struck Mana square in the heart, sending him flying. I felt lightheaded as precious oxygen was delivered to my brain and I looked up.

Mana was turning to ice, slowly being consumed by it. He was beside himself as he shrieked his final words.

_NO!!! How could this be?! I am the Messenger of Death! I am immortal! How could you—AAAAHH!!!_

The ice reached his head, silencing him forever. Mana stood there, a frozen statue before a blast of fire came flying past me and exploded it. The effect was not unlike a bomb going off. A purple mist vaporized where his heart had been and Mana was no more.

It was over.

I can never stop thinking about what could have happened if Mana had stayed with me instead of Seryn. In the end, I figured that it mattered very little. Seryn was still dead, Mana was still defeated and there are still humans out there that have been transformed forever. It seems that no matter what the path, fate will always end up the same in the end.

I tried to put it behind me. Nothing could change the past, but I could work with the other Flammie-Humans to ensure a bright future. I was better off anyway, but what happened between Seryn, Mana and I will never leave my mind. We can only continue to spread the good word of the Flammie. Who knows, we might come see _you_ sometime soon.

We are the Flammie Clan and we are offering you a life-changing experience. Will you join us?

**END**


End file.
